Folding chair



Aug. 29, 1933. A. I. PASTERNACKET AL 1,924,329

FOLDING CHAIR I Filed March 25, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 29, 1933. A. l. PASTERNACK ET AL 1,924,329

FOLDING CHAIR Filed March 25, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m zwiz w Patented Aug. 29,1933

v UNITED STATES 1,924,32e1 FOLDI G-errata Aaron I. Pasternack David Philadelphia, Fa.

G. Pastel-hack 7 Application March 25,1930. Serial No. 438,668 1 Claim. '(o1'.155@ 1s3),

Our invention relates to what are known as reclining chairs, wherein' a substantially horizontal seat frame is provided with a back frame hingedlyconnected therewith and adjustable rack I 6 mechanism whereby said back may be held in various positions of inclination with'respect to said seat.

In the form of our invention hereinafter de scribed, the back frame is counterbalanced by springs to facilitate'its adjustmenhand a third frame isno'rmally foldedv upon the seat frame but may be unfolded to form a foot bed in which the head portion is formed by turning thefchair back down to horizontal position.

15 Said chair includes a folding foot rest which may be slid to inoperative position beneath said seat frame, or withdrawn and upturned'to operative position. Therefore, said seat frame ;is provided with a guide frame, in rigid relation therewith, in which is slidably' mounted a frame for said foot rest and in which said foot rest is pivoted so that itmay be oscillated to and'from operative position. i

O rdinarily,such seat frames are provided with upholstery springs mounted upon a' support extending from front to rear thereof, above said rack mechanism and, consequently, the springs must be shallow. On'the contrary, ourjchair seat is adapted to hold deep which extend transversely thereto and parallel with the adjustable rackmechanisrn, so thatthe latter 'may extend upwardly between adjoining series of such deep springs. I T Moreover, our improved rack mechanism in cludes a rack frame which is a single metal casting having similar rack members atrespectively opposite ends thereof adjoining the side "mem- .bers of the seat frame and extending parallelv therewith and connected in unitary'relation with .4 a cross bar by which said rack frame may be tilted. Said rack members on said rack frame are pivotally connected at their rear endsfwith, the tiltable chair back and are spring pressed to engage stationarystuds, upon. respectively pposite sides of the chair seat frame, to'hold said chair back in adjusted position. Ordinarily, such adjustablerack inechanism is adapted to beoperated by pressure'upon" but one,

side thereof, which pressure tends to .twist the 5 rack frame, with the'disadvantage that it may be released for tilting upon but one side ofthe chair, while remaining mined tilted position at the opposite side. Therefore, an advantageous feature of our invention is that the rack frame is operable, by a single portion of r a upholstery by contactwtih the floor, and affordsprings -upon slats laterallytherefromflin stationaryv relation with engaged in a predeter tion upon opposite sides of lever, which is fulcrumed upon one side of said seat frame and extends thru the other side of said seat frame, exterior to the chair upholstery; and is provided with a knob by which it may be depressed to release said rack frame by pressure on the middle of the crossbar of said frame; with:

. out any-stress tending to twist that frame.

ingdesirable ventilation beneath the bed:

However, itis to be understood that our inven-j 1 tion may be'embodied in a'folding chair which does not include such an adjustable foot rest'or third frame, as above described. 9 1 'Our invention' includes the various novel fea- .tures "of construction and arrangement hereinafter more definitely specified.

In said'drawings; Fig. I is a side elevation ofhe'complete frame members of a folding chair embodying ourinventionand adapted to be unfolded to form abed." Fig..II is a front elevation of saidjchair in the folded position shown in Fig. I. Fig. III isa plan view of said chair in unfolded position,"forming a bed. Fig. IV is a side elevation ofsaid chair in the position shown in @Fig. III. Fig. Visaperspective' view of one of theside .pla'tesyrnounted on the seat frame; showing the sitagg'eredrelation of the studs which project 5 said frame.{ Fig. VI is a. perspective view of said "rackframe, which is a-unitary casting.

is a perspective view of said'lever by which said v rack frame may be'released for tilting movement.

In saidfiguresi? the seat frame 1 is provided. j withfour. legs resting upon the floor 3 and has 'three'transverseslats' 4 respectively adapted to.

support a' series of three springs each. Said frame 1' has opposite side plates 6jeach having threestuds 7, 8, and 9 imbedded in and projectingftherefrom, with their axes at right angles tothe longitudinal axisofthe chair; the similarly numbered studsibeing in coaxial rela said chair frame I. no Said plates 6 are conveniently formed of cast relation; and rigidly back frame so thatthe latter is thus hingedly connected with said chair seat frame 1, and is "rising from the latter.

Tl? "Said arm. 23 is carried 'which is fulcrumed at in the bracket 31 rigidly cfonnectedwiththe left side'member 11 "of said seat frame 1 withits opposite end extending thru the. slot 33 in the right a name 1 Said. lever is provided with'theoperatmg knob 34 at its j turned exterionto'the chair: in 7 position to ;be readily 'depressedby the right hand oflthe. occupant of thechair, against the tension"of"the lever to idleposition.

g a'id e t. around s'aid slot 33, in-thatframe member.

metal and said studs of wrought metal cast there in, said plates 6 are so located upon the opposite side members 11 and 12 of said frame 1 that the chair back'is borne by stress of pressure on the said side members.

Said studs 7 are respectively pivotally engaged with the metal side bars 14 which are in parallel connected with' the chair angularly adjustable from substantially vertical to horizontal position. As indicated in Fig. IV,

said studs 3 serve as stops for contact with said side bars 14 to prevent said back frame 15 from being depressed below horizontal position; and thus'support the upper portion of the body of the occupant when the latter is prone. It is to be particularly noted that said studs 8 are located above the axes of said studs 7 so as to'permitthe lowering of the back tothe desired level, without notching said sidebars 14. V

Said side bars 14' of the back frame 15 areprovided with studs 17 and 18 which arepivotally connectedwith the rack levers 19 and 20.. Said levers are rigidly connected with each other by the cross bar 21with which they arein unitary relationi said'leve'rs and cross bar being preferably formedfof a'single malieableiron casting. Said 2 rack levers have similar series of rack notches 23 in their upper edges adapted to selectively engage a said studs'Q and are normally upheld in engagement with said studs bythe single spring 24 which extends fr'omthe bar 21 to'the stud 9 at the right hand side of said frame 1.

K Howeven-said' chair back frame 151is arranged to be counterbalanced by theftwo springs 26' and 2'7 which areengaged attheirup'pe'r endslwith the back frame-studs 17 and 18 and-are secured at their lower ends to saidseat frame 1; so ,that, when said rack frame is released, said backfrarne will automatically lower itself, slowly, but may be readily raised by even one'finger of anoccupant of the" chair, without The means above described serve'to holdlsaid back frame 15 in any position of inclinationwith I respect to the, seat frame} in which .itv may be set with the studs 9 selectively engaged ,with op;

posite notches 23"i'n"said.rack'leve'rls' 19; and-20,

but saidlback balancing springs 26 and 27 enable occupant to set the frameat desired angle by merely leaning backwardorforward when'said racks are releasedfromengagement with said studs 9., said levers may siiniiltaneously released from their. engaging studs '9 by downward pressure upon. said cross bar 21, and

such pressure maybe conveniently. appliedi by the arm 28 which extends rearwardly ver said cross bar, intermediate of the-Width'ofthe chair.

by the single "lever/29 side member 12To'f said right hand end which ishupspringv -36, which continually tends to lift said We find it convenient to [connect the upper. end of said spring 36' witlithe lu'g38 .orithe metalplate 39 which is rigidly connected'withthe inner 'fa'ceof the side member 12 frame land formsfia "guide frame folded position shown inFig.

'tion of the chair.

'fnectedfwith" the front strip which fits flush The third frame aforesaid is indicated at 41' and'as shown in Fig. 111, is an open frame but with cross bars at the front and rear thereof for supporting a seat which is movable toward and away from cooperative relation with said springs on said slats 4. 'Said third frame 41 is pivotally' connected with the front edge of said-seat frame 1 by hinges at opposite plates 42 which are rigidly connected with the frame 1, plates 43 which are rigidly connected with said third frame 41, and links 45 which are shown in Figs. III and1IV, said hinge links 45 present a smooth surface to the textile uphol stery material, througout the relative movement of said frames. N

.In theform shown; said seat, frame 1' is provided with a foot rest guideframe conveniently formed of iron channel bars 47 which are mount- .ed-in rigid parallel relation therein with their flanges turned inwardly; preferably by forming sides thereof, including said removable seat sockets 48 in the rear members .49 which is conv venientlyformed of wood, and providing said guide, channel bars 47 with angle brackets 50 at .llO their frontends respectively rigidly connected with the front member 51 of said seat frame 1. Said guide frame is. adapted to receive thefoot rest slide frame 53, conveniently formed of'angle bar's rigidly. connected in'rectangular relation, conveniently by welding them at their corner junctions, and provided with laterally" extending stop projections 54 which limitthe extent to which said slide frame may be. drawn out from-the frontpf vsaid Iseat frameil, by contacting with the, inner surface of said front member 51 of that fr me,

Said, foot rest slide frame 53 has,frigidly 'conend thereof, the wooden I, in 'a correspondingly 'shapednotch56 in said front member 51 when said-slide frame is beneath said seat frame 1, and from which it may be, withdrawn by manuallygra'sping said strip 55. "said slide frame 53' has the cross bar 58 seposition therein with stop cured in, stationary. lugs 59 projecting forwardly. The foot rest proper comprises thewooden panel 60 which is piv'otally. connected with said cross bar between said lugs, by the hinge bracket 61.

- T he'relation of the parts last above described is .such'that when said panel 60 is turned back, upon said cross bar 58 indicated in dotted linesin Fig. III, it is prevented I rom falling below that position by said stop lugs 59, but whenit is desired touse said foot rest,

to'horizontal position; as

said slide frame 5,3'may be' withdrawn to theposition shown in Fig. I and said panel may be upturned sothatit is inclined upwardly outwardly with 'referenceto the front of said seat frame 1 and its outer end rests upon and is supported by saidZstrip .55. z

However, essential features of our. invention m ybe embodied in chairj'structures which are not of the specific character above described.

thrust into its idle position.

frame having a slot thru one side thereof; of a back frame; of means hingedly connecting said frames in angularly adjustable relation, including opposite side bars on said back frame pivotally connected with said seat frame; a rack pivotally connected with said side bars; means 1 ed position;

' 3 in said seat frame adapted to be detachably engaged by said rack frame in various positions; and means movable to release said rack frame to permit adjustment of said frames, including a singlelever pivoted at one side of said seat'frame within the latter with its opposite end extending thru said seat frame slot to the'exterior thereof, where it is accessible to the occupant of the chair,

and an arm on said lever overhanging said rack frame; and a spring normally upholding the free end of said lever with said arm above said rack frame; whereby depression of the exterior end,

of said lever uniformly depresses said rack frame to release it, and release of saidlever permits said rack frame to engage said chair frames in adjust- AARON I. PASTERNACK. DA m G; PASTERNACNK. V 

